


Press Briefing for July 20, 2020

by ravenspaw



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Coronavirus, Gen, Press briefing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:47:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26110615
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravenspaw/pseuds/ravenspaw
Summary: C.J. Cregg's July 20, 2020 White House Press Briefing, updating the nation on the country's coronavirus response.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	Press Briefing for July 20, 2020

Today is six months to the day of the first reporting of COVID-19 in the United States, on January 20, 2020. Yesterday, the country has recorded an additional 834 cases and 37 deaths, bringing our total caseload since the pandemic began to 273,012 cases. Our total number of deaths is 32,189. Our thoughts and prayers are with each of those families.

152 of today's cases, and two of today's deaths, are linked to a large 50th birthday party held illegally indoors in a restaurant in Davidson, North Carolina on July 6th. Davidson is a suburb of Charlotte, and several counties in North Carolina are now under a Stage 3 alert for the next two weeks in an attempt to curb the outbreak. As a reminder, Stage 3 alert means that you should only be leaving your house for food and to receive medical attention. You can check the alert level of your county on the CDC's coronavirus website, _coronavirus.cdc.gov_. Again, the website is _coronavirus.cdc.gov._ County health officials have shut down the restaurant, and the owners have been fined for breaking the ban on indoor dining.

This is a hard, difficult time for all Americans, and we want to encourage people to live normal lives as much as possible within the confines of taking reasonable precautions against COVID-19. Of course we still want people to be able to gather to celebrate birthdays and other milestones. But it is every American's duty to participate in such activities in a safe, responsible way. As a reminder, indoor dining in poorly ventilated facilities can drastically increase the risk of contracting COVID-19. Outdoor dining is a safe, enjoyable way to meet family and friends in all counties that are not under a Stage 3 alert.

Restaurants are encouraged to apply for funding from the Small Business Support Fund in order to help convert their restaurants into safe outdoor dining experiences.

On another note, President Bartlett and Congress have reached a deal to extend the federal stimulus package from the end of August through the end of 2020. It passed the Senate a few hours ago, and the president will sign the bill on Friday. 

I am now pleased to introduce Secretary of Health and Education Jim Kaine, who will be joining this press briefing via Zoom. He will provide an update on the president's plan to ensure that every child in America receives a quality education in the fall, whether or not schools are able to re-open in-person in his or her area. After his briefing, I will answer a few questions. Thank you.


End file.
